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EXHIBIT 99.4
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, July 31, 2000
Statement by Sizzler USA
CULVER CITY, Calif., July 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Sizzler USA learned today that
the City of Milwaukee Health Department has cited "raw beef product" provided by
an outside source as having tested positive for the E.Coli strain present in the
recent Milwaukee outbreak. Sizzler USA is taking steps to uncover the source
and determine how and when the ground beef arrived at the Milwaukee franchise
restaurant. It is Sizzler USA policy in all of its 65 corporate-owned
restaurants to cook ground beef entrees to the 160 degrees recommended by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Cooking ground beef to this temperature
effectively eliminates any possibility of bacterial contamination.
Sizzler USA strongly recommends that its independent franchise restaurants --
a list which includes the Milwaukee restaurant -- follow this precautionary
ground beef cooking policy. There are 200 independent Sizzler(R) franchises
across the country.
Sizzler USA is based in Culver City, California and operates 65 company-owned
restaurants and is associated with 200 Sizzler(R) franchises nationwide.
